


Wear Your Fury Wisely

by CeridwenofWales



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Genre: Arranged Marriage, Body Image, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Forced Marriage, Hate to Love, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, There's mention to rape and torture, nothing graphic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-30
Updated: 2019-07-30
Packaged: 2020-07-25 23:15:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20033944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CeridwenofWales/pseuds/CeridwenofWales
Summary: Orys took Davos to Aegonfort as Aegon received a delegation from Dorne with a peace offer many considered a challenge. Now back to Storm's End, Orys wishes he hadn't taken his son with him, for now, Argella has another reason to consider him unworthy.





	Wear Your Fury Wisely

**Author's Note:**

> Orys joined King Aegon I in the First Dornish War in 4 AC, leading an assault on the Boneway with one thousand picked knights. His horses struggled up the stony, narrow, and twisty paths, while his knights were hit with boulders from above, the work of defenders the stormlanders never saw. Where the Boneway crossed the river Wyl, the cunning Dornishmen launched a night raid, raining arrows, rocks, and spears from above as the stormlanders crossed a bridge. The bodies of the invading army blocked the Boneway from both ends, and when Lord Orys ordered his men to fall back, a triggered rockfall cut off their retreat. With no way forward or back, the stormlanders were massacred, save for Orys and a dozen other lords thought worth the ransom. However, Orys and his bannermen found themselves the captives of the **[Wyl of Wyl](https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/Wyl_of_Wyl)**, the savage mountain lord called the Widow-lover.
> 
> When Aegon eventually agreed to the Dornish ransom demands, Lord Baratheon and his bannermen were ransomed in 7 AC for each man's weight in gold. However, they were freed only after having their sword hands chopped off so they would not be able to use them again against Dorne. Orys became known as Orys One-Hand thereafter. In retaliation for this treachery, King Aegon descended on the mountain fastnesses of House Wyl with his dragon Balerion and burned them to rubble, though the Wyls managed to take refuge in their caves and tunnels beneath the mountains.
> 
> Orys was said to have become crabbed and bitter after that, so he resigned his office as Hand and returned to the stormlands. He became obsessed with vengeance against the Dornish, especially House Wyl, whose lord had removed his hand. When **[Princess Deria Martell ](https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/Deria_Martell)**came to King's Landing to provide peace terms, Lord Orys argued for sending the princess back to her father Nymor, the Prince of Dorne, without a hand.
> 
> The daughter of Lord Oakheart, **[Alys](https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/Alys_Oakheart)** married [Ser Jon Cafferen](https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/Jon_Cafferen), heir to Fawnton in 12 AC. During the wedding, Lord Wyl of Wyl turned up uninvited and was admitted through the postern gate by a treacherous servant. Lord Oakheart and most of the guests were slain, and Alys was forced to watch as her husband was gelded. Afterwards, she and her handmaids were gang-raped by Wyl's men and then sold off to a Myrish slaver. This was the most infamous act of the First Dornish War.
> 
> Princess **[Deria ](https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/Deria_Martell)** was the granddaughter of Princess Meria Martell, the Yellow Toad of Dorne. Upon Meria's death in 13 AC, Deria's father Nymor took over the rule of Dorne. The First Dornish War had been ongoing since 4 AC, and Nymor wanted peace. He sends Deria at the head of a delegation to King's Landing, with the skull of the dead dragon Meraxes as a peace offer. Many at court took this act ill, including Queen Visenya and Lord Orys Baratheon. Lord Oakheart suggested that Deria should be sent to "the meanest of brothels to service any man who would have her".
> 
> Deria assured King Aegon I Targaryen that Dorne wanted peace, but would not swear fealty to the Iron Throne. King Aegon's counselors argued against this, claiming Aegon would look weak if he agreed. In addition, they believed the lords of the Reach and stormlands would feel offended by such a peace.
> 
> King Aegon was ready to refuse the offer when Princess Deria presented him with a letter from her father. Aegon read the letter, his hands clenching it so hard they started to bleed. Once he was done he burned the letter and immediately flew to Dragonstone upon Balerion. When he returned the next morning, he agreed to the peace and signed a treaty.

* * *

"Lord Oakheart sent a raven to Aegonfort as soon as he heard the Dornish delegation arrived. I thought Visenya would draw her sword and behead the princess on the spot when she presented Meraxes' skull," Orys no longer struggled to perform most of the daily tasks with only one hand and Argella found herself gazing at the way his muscles rippled when he pulled the tunic over his head.

“Lord Oakheart would have a woman brutalized in reckoning of what another woman of his blood suffered by Wyl’s hand, but no man ever thought of sailing to Myr to rescue lady Alys and her handmaids from their torment,” Argella couldn’t help wondering if Orys would act the same way, or if he had embraced the fury, not resting until he was able to save her. 

“Each day they remain in their castles, it’s a day they allow Alys and her ladies to endure the same fate Wyl imposed on them when he sneaked into that wedding feast,” Argella didn’t need to stare at Orys to notice how uncomfortable he was. Her husband was still easy to read, sitting on the edge of the bed, scratching the stump where his hand should be.

_I should pay your wife a visit. I wonder if she will be grateful I took the hand you slew her father with. I've heard she is gorgeous._ Orys gulped, unable to forget Wyl's threat. 

Argella had stayed in the safety of Storm’s End while Orys endure Wyl’s torture but working relentlessly to raise the ransom that would bring him home. It was also her duty ensuring he would have a home to return to, she had to protect a legacy that was as much his as hers.

“It was impossible,” Orys whispered and Argella suspected he was talking more to himself than to her.

_Have they been born men, they would have died that day as I would have perished defending Storm's End, but as they were born women, they will die a thousand deaths every time a stranger touches them._

“Some deemed impossible rescuing you from Dorne too. I suppose a man’s honor is more valuable than a woman’s,” Argella knew she had gone too far when his nostrils flared, and he raised to his feet.

_He wears fury well._

“Aegon shouldn’t have accepted their terms…” Orys shifted closer to where Argella was sitting, brushing her hair. His anger started to fade as he twirled a strand of her silky hair between his fingers. Argella wondered if her heart would ever cease to beat faster whenever she felt the heat of his body. She wanted nothing more than to lean her head on his chest and have his strong arms around her, but she couldn’t falter now.

“No peace without submission,” Argella smirked, repeating Visenya’s words.

“Davos should be more discreet,” Orys sighed, feeling a shiver running down his spine at the idea their son revealed more than what Visenya said.

“I’ve heard your suggestion was no less savage, my lord,” Orys recoiled his hand when Argella tilted her head to look at him. The idea she still judged him unworthy after all these years haunted him and Argella noticed the way a muscle in his jaw twitched.

_A woman’s body is never her own. It will always pay for other’s sins._ Argella thought but couldn’t bring herself to say as many other truths she kept concealed from Orys.

“Princess Deria didn’t take your hand or raped those women,” Argella reached for his hand, but Orys grunted, shaking his head.

“The man I married would never allow an innocent to be harmed…”

“I’m no longer that man. I never thought I would see you defending a Dornish,” Orys hissed through clenched teeth and Argella rose to her feet, cupping his face.

“I know part of you remained in Dorne…”

Orys averted his gaze, reluctant to show how Argella could always make him feel vulnerable.

“Not the hand, Orys. That kindness I resented you for so long, but that in truth I cherish. The kindness our children deserve.”

Argella felt his jaw clenching under her fingertips and knew he was trying not to cry in front of her.

“Tell me you didn’t allow them to take everything, Orys.” A whimper escaped her trembling lips and Orys finally looked at her, surprised to find her eyes glinting with unshed tears.

He reached up to touch her, forgetting his missing hand, and his stump brushed her cheek. She did not flinch away, though he did when he remembered phantom fingers. He let the arm fall and raised his left instead, cupping her cheek, and stroking her skin.

“Wield our fury wisely, Orys.” Argella blinked, willing the tears to fade away.

“I will!” He vowed, leaning down to brush his lips over hers.


End file.
